Ruler for loose-leaf books



Sept. 11, 1923. 1,467,534

J. L. CROOK, JR

RULER FOR LOOSE LEAF BOOKS Filed May 20, 1922,

Zmwwkw L 61 0 0K, Jr.

Patented Sept. 11, 1923.

UNiro er res ' raiser BULER roe. ro osn nner BOOKS, j

Application filed May-2b, j1e2e. Serial in). 562,443.

To all whom 2'25 may concerns Be it known that I, Jean L. Cnoox, Jr,

a citizen of the United States, residingat Jackson, in the county of Madison and'State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rulers for Loose-Leaf Books, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved ruler for employment in connection with note and similar books bound in loose leaf form, the general object of the invention being to provide a ruler which may be securely retained within such a book when not in actual use and which may be conveniently disengaged for use when occasion requires. Such books ordinarily comprise leaf-retaining members which are adapted to be opened for the introduction and removal of the loose leaves, and the invention contemplates providing a ruler adapted to be engaged with the leaf retaining members of such a book and thus securely held against loss although adapted to be readily disengaged for use by merely opening the said members in the usual manner.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the ruler that a standard type thereof may be employed in connection with various styles of loose leaf binders and particularly without regard to the relative spacing of the leaf retaining members thereof.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a loose leaf book equipped with the ruler embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 through the ruler alone.

The ruler embodying the invention is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and is associated with a loose leaf binder 2 comprising the usual back 3, leaf retaining members 4:, and loose leaves 5, which are retained within the back by said members a. The members 4 may be of any of the ordinary types and these members are ordinarily constructed in such a manner that they may be opened to permit of the introduction and removal of the leaves In the present instance the members are of substantially U-form and each comprises relatively separable sections.

The ruler embodying the invention is preferably formed from a blank of sheet metal or any other suitable material and of a'ny desired length and has straightedges' indlcated one by the numeral 6 and the other by the numeral 7 The body of .the ruler is fiat 'sided,'but one longitudinal edge per tionthereof, indic ated by the numerals,"

and which is defined by the edge7, is preferably deflected at an obtuse angle from the plane of the body of the ruler, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2. If desired the edge 6 of the body may be employed as a straight edge when ruling isto be done by pencil,

and on the other hand, the deflected edge 7 may be employed when the ruling is to be.

done with an ordinary pen.

In order that the ruler may be assembled with the leaf retaining members and retained thereby within the book and readily disengaged from said members when requird for use, the body of the ruler is formed with a longitudinally extending series of openings 9 and with a longitudinal slot 10. The openings 9 extend in a straight line parallel to the straight edges 6 and 7 and from a point adjacent one'end of thebody of the ruler for a suitable portion of the length of said body, preferably about one third the length. The slot 10 extends in alinement with the series of openings 9 and throughout substantially the remaining twothirds of the length of the body of the ruler. Ordinarily loose'leaf' binders embody two of the members 4, and in various sizes and makes of binders these members are vari ously spaced. However, this does not in any bers inasmuch as one of the members may be engaged through one or another of the openings 9, and the other member through the slot 10, and inasmuch as the series of openings 9 extends substantially only one-- third of the length of the body of the ruler and the slot 10 extends substantially the remaining two-thirds of the length, both members may be engaged through the ruler regardless of their relative spacing. In fact, the ruler will be adapted for assemblage with a loose leaf binder embodying three of the leaf retaining members, as well as with one embodying only a'pair of such members. From the foregoing it will be evident that while the ruler will be securely retained within the book through engagement with the members 4, it may be readily made available for use by opening said members and then disengaging it therefrom.

Preferably the ruler is provided along its deflected edge portion 8 with scale marks as indicated by the numeral 11, and along its other edge portion 6 with scale marks 12 so that the ruler may be employed in measuring distances as well as for ruling purposes.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is: v

1. A ruler for use in connection with loose leaf books which embody spaced leaf-retaining members, comprising a body having a straight edge, andfprovided with a longi- 15 tudinal slot and with an opening spaced from the end of the slot, both to receive the said members.

2. A ruler for use in connection with loose leaf books which embody spaced leaf-retaining members, comprising a body having a straight edge and provided with a longitudinal slot extending throughout the major por- I tion of the length of said body and with a series of openings extending throughout a minor portion of the length of the body in alinement with the slot and both to receive the said members.

In testimony whereof 1 ME): my signature.

JERE L. oRooK, JR. a s] 

